The sport of fishing requires the use of a large number of items such as rods, reels, nets, lures, stringers, etc. A person wishing to fish needs to have all of these items and accessories on hand or readily nearby. Because of the large number of many different accessories, it is extremely difficult to carry all of these accessories at once. This presents a large problem for a person fishing along a shoreline who would like to walk along the shoreline or wade into the water while fishing. This person would have to leave the fishing gear behind or slowly and distractingly move the gear accordingly.
In the past, the common method for carrying a number of fishing accessories has been through the use of a fishing vest having a number of pockets. However, these vests tend to restrict complete freedom of movement and are uncomfortable, particularly in warm weather. Additionally, a fishing vest is very limited in storage capacity and cannot hold a fishing rod, a net, etc., all of which must be carried separately at the risk of being lost, dropped or damaged.
To store or transport a rod, a rod tube is most commonly used. A tube is a long cylindrical rigid tube with a cover, in which a rod is placed. However, rod tubes are bulky and cumbersome and must either be left ashore while wading or must be left in a vehicle, in which case only the rod is carried to a fishing location, thereby exposing the rod to damage from snags on trees and underbrush.
Numerous other attempts have been made to provide a means for carrying fishing accessories. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,231, issued to Kalisher, discloses a tackle box belt. This belt however has no means for protecting and transporting a rod. Further, the pockets are not padded and are relatively small to hold lures and such and are incapable of holding a large lure box or other large items.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,628, issued to Burgin, et al., discloses a fishing equipment holder having an elongated cylindrical body having notched brackets for holding fishing equipment. This holder however does not wrap around a person's waist, exposes all the gear in the notched brackets, and does not contain accessible compartments for lures and tackle while in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,112, issued to Miller, discloses a carrier for fishing rods and tackle comprising a tackle box and a rod holder attached to a carrier plate. This carrier however does not wrap around the waist and exposes the fishing rods, leaving them unprotected while in transport. Further, this carrier is extremely complex and costly to manufacture.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,611, issued to Files, discloses a cylindrical floating fishing tackle carrier. This carrier however does not wrap around the waist, and a user must also submerge themselves in water for the floating carrier to be useful. The floating carrier proves to be cumbersome, bulky and if there are waves, the carrier can be very awkward.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,823,971, issued to Hoyt, discloses a tackle box. This tackle box however does not wrap around the waist, but is worn on a person's back, thereby making accessibility difficult and inconvenient. A rod can be tied to a side of the tackle box, but this leaves the rod unprotected and removal of the rod time consuming.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,817,472, issued to Parkhurst, discloses a belt with compartments for use by fishermen. However, their belt has no means of carrying or transporting and is not suitable for all waist sizes, i.e., is not readily adjustable. Further, fishing items are placed into cylinders carried on the belt, thereby restricting the number and size of items that can be carried. There are sleeves in the belt for a rod but the rod still remains exposed and vulnerable to damage.
The present invention solves the problems, disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art by providing a portable and adjustable wrap around fishing rod holder with accessories, which completely protects a fishing rod and gear and allows a user to completely maintain freedom of movement during fishing, while at the same time being readily accessible to all compartments. Also, the invention is simple in construction and use, thereby saving the user time and money.